1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to restroom facilities, and more specifically to a handicap-accessible restroom facility having a shower, toilet and sink including a shower head suited for simplified cleaning of the entire restroom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally speaking, the modern restroom has undergone little variation over the years. A Typical restroom consists of a toilet, a sink, a shower and/or a bath. Some emphasis however, has been placed upon customizing the traditional restroom for special applications.
For example, Painter, U.S. Pat. No. 2,817,091 discloses a mobile sanitary trailer designed for use by large gatherings of people. This invention reflects the traditional restroom on wheels.
Gugler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,037,895 teaches a pre-constructed bathroom designed for easy installation at a building site.
McTighe, U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,011 is a self-cleaning restroom and a method for cleaning a restroom. The sealed restroom disclosed by this invention is cleaned by automatically moving a spray boon around the inside of the enclosure, then draining the fluid, and finally drying the restroom.
In recent years, as the rights of the handicapped have received greater support, restrooms and their components have evolved to become more handicap accessible. A handicap-accessible restroom will typically have wider than ordinary doors which allow a wheelchair to pass through, and at least one oversize toilet stall with a grab bar for use by the handicapped. Truly handicap-accessible restrooms have other features including a ramp or lift device to access the restroom and shower in a wheelchair, and placement of water valves and other restroom accessories at a height by which they may be reached from a wheelchair. Inventors have devised an number of devices to make restrooms more handicap-accessible.
For example, Crump, U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,501 discloses a portable shower stall, platform and ramp combination for use with an invalid's shower chair. This invention permits a handicapped person with an attendant to use an ordinary shower stall.
Maynard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,402 is a handicap accessible bathroom which may be easily and modularly installed and removed. This invention may be installed in a pre-existing room, when need exists, and removed when handicapped access is no longer necessary.
Palmeri, U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,329 teaches a bathtub and shower structure for access by the handicapped. This invention is specifically concerned with minimizing the probability that an individual will drown in the bathtub.
Handicap-accessible restrooms have generally met only minimum government requirements for handicap accessibility. What is lacking from the prior art is a truly general purpose restroom suitable for use by the handicapped. The restroom should be provided with the amenities of an ordinary restroom, such as towel hooks and paper towel dispensers, yet be designed so that the amenities may be used by the handicapped. The ordinary handicap-accessible restroom is usually retrofit for that purpose, and as such is not properly designed to have all of its facilities necessarily usable by the handicapped.
Furthermore, at public events, the handicapped are further restricted by a lack of available accessible restroom facilities. Once again, even if such facilities are provided, they are so difficult to use, or dirty, that their use by the handicapped is undignified. One of the reasons that public restrooms become so dirty is the lack of available help to clean them, and the difficulty of cleaning a publicly located restroom. A need exists for a handicap-accessible restroom, particularly a mobile one having the facilities to quickly and efficiently clean the interior of the restroom.